Submerged blast reaction tank



1953 P. K. ANDERSON 2,624,657

SUBMERGED BLAST REACTION TANK Filed March 12, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .Zja' g Q2.

lNVENTOR.

FHILIPKJANDEIRSON.

ATTO R N EYS.

1953 P. K. ANDERSON SUBMERGED BLAST REACTION TANK 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 12, 1947 BNVENT'OR. Pmu KLAN ERSQN. BY WM, R M

Iiliii ATT'O R N EYS.

Patented Jan. 6, 1953 ST'EES T E'E' OFFECE SUBMERGED BLAST REACTION TANK Philip Kenneth Andersen, Railway, N. J assignor to The American Metal Company, Ltd., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 12, 1947, seriamatsacm 3 Claims.

This invention relates to vessels or containers, and more particularly to means for facilitating the aeration of liquids and solids contained in a vessel.

lviy apparatus is particularly adapted to the manufacture of complex compounds of copper such as copper oxychloride though not restricted thereto. Such compounds have been produced in the past by introducing metallic copper into a solution of ammoniacal calcuim chloride and aerating same in a reaction vessel. Copper oxychlcride is but one of many complex compounds of copper oxide and calcium chloride which have been found useful, for example, as fungicides. Many attempts have been made to produce these compounds at sufiiciently low cost to make them commercially feasible.

The principal factor controlling the production rate of copper oxychloride, when the latter is produced by the above mentioned process of aeration of copper in calcium chloride and ammonium chloride, has been the rate of dissolution of the metallic copper. The exact chemical reactions involved in aerating metallic copper in a solution of calcium and ammonium chloride are not accurately known, but it is believed that the oxidizes the copper to form copper oxychloride.

Processes and apparatus have been heretofore proposed for making copper oxychloride, for example, as shown in Haag et a1. U. S. Patent 2,358,766 dated September 19, 1944. But up to new, such attempts to make copper oxychloride have been of restricted importance and largely have been unsuccessful because the rate of production in comparison to the size of the investment for the equipment is so low that the unit cost of the product has been high.

Other reaction vessels for making copper oxychloride have been proposed. They included air outlets or orifices which did not permit proper contact between the air, copper and reagents either because the air currents were not properly placed or the copper oxychloride settled on the copper and prevented further reaction.

According to the present invention, an object is to provide novel apparatus for overcoming the above difficulties.

The above and further objects and novel features will more fully appear from the detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the in- 2 vention, reference for this latter purpose being had to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views;

Fig. -1 is a top plan viewof' one embodiment of the invention; n

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 2a is a vertical sectional view, partly in section and with parts broken away, of a reaction tank illustrating a second embodiment of the invention; and g v Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2, showing a particular bank of conduits for an aerating medium at the level ofline 33, and also showing other banks of conduits at levels below line 13'.3.

The forms of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example, comprise a reaction tank or vessel for the production of copper oxychloride wherein pieces of copper are acted 'uponby a calcium chloride and ammonium chloride liquor and by air. Streams of the latter are directed into the vessel at or near the bottom thereof and pass in contact with the copper. The bottom of the novel vessel is provided with a plurality of steps which are so disposed relative to one another that a gaseous medium such asair directed into the container through the sides or faces of the steps will contact freely and effectivelyany metallic copper situated upon the steps. Any material which is capable of settling to the bottom of the vessel is. directed into direct contact with the air. With respect to metallic copper this aids the chemical action and dissolution thereof. With respect to the precipitate .(copper oxychloride) which tends to settle as a slurry, the novel bottomdirects same into the aerating stream which recirculates it and keeps it insuspension. The novel stepped bottom of the tank may also .be described as comprising a plurality of troughs into which an aerating medium is directedthrough the sides or bottoms of the troughs. Any material which settles to the bottom is .directedbymeans of the troughs into direct contact with :an airlstream;

The concentration of the reaction liquor may vary widely. Of course, it is generally desired to maintain-concentrations which will induce maximum reaction or dissolution rates of copper. In general, in the present invention, aliquor' is used having .a gravityv varying between 5 and 25 Baume measured at about 20 to 30 ,C'. The weight ratio of calcium chloride to ammonium 3 chloride may vary from about 4 to 1 to about 6 to 1. It has been found preferable to have a gravity of between 17 to 20 Baum and a weight ratio of calcium chloride to ammonium chloride of about 5 to 1.

The rate of aeration should be the maximum possible without causing undesirable or excessive splashing. In the embodiment of the invention described herein, it has been found desirable to employ air at a rate of between c. f. m. to c. f. m. for each square foot of bottom area of the reaction vessel. More specifically about 12.5 c. f. m. are employed for each square foot of bottom area in the present invention.

One of the disadvantages of prior reaction tanks is that large inactive regions exist between air conduit outlets which permit the building up of metallic copper coated with slurry (settled copper oxychloride) thus decreasing the productive capacities of the tank by decreasing the areas of copper exposed to the aerating stream and to the reaction liquor.

Novel means are provided in accordance with my invention for eliminating any inactive regions and attaining a superior distribution of air at greater uniformity than heretofore suggested. Said novel means also effect a continued suspension of the product (copper oxychloride) and promote a maximum production by continuously exposing the metallic copper to streams of air.

I provide a novel reaction-promoting bottom surface comprising a plurality of steps preferably having inclined faces and horizontal treads. The aerating fluid is directed preferably to sweep across the treads. The steps preferably occupy the entire bottom of the reaction tank and any metallic copper in the tank must fall upon some one of the treads where it is in direct contact with an air stream. The same is true of the precipitate or slurry which may tend to settle and to coat the metallic copper. That is, the copper oxychloride may tend to settle but will fall upon one of said treads and be violently agitated by an air stream directed thereacross whereby it will be urged upwardly and away from a settled condition. Thus a fouling or covering of the metallic copper by the precipitate is avoided. I

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2, 2a. and 3, the novel reaction tank is constituted by a vessel which may be, for example, five feet in depth with a diameter of 6 feet. Such a vessel is indicated at ID in the accompanying diagram and preferably is of wood having a bottom H also of wood.

As shown in Fig. 2, I provide a bottom comprising a plurality of steps, there being in this particular embodiment two sets of steps which face one another and which step upwardly and away from a common diameter of the bottom of the tank.

The treads of, for example, the left hand set of steps as viewed in Fig. 2, are shown at id and 12a. The faces of said steps are respectively shown at 16a and He which preferably are slightly inclined.

The right hand set of steps, on the other hand, comprises treads 16c, and I2d having faces 16b and 21) respectively.

The faces l2a, I2b are of greater area than faces Hia, lib and preferably extend outwardly to the inner vertical surfaces of the tank and are fitted thereto.

An island portion [8 may be interposed if desired between the left and right hand sets of steps and may form small troughs l9 and 20 respectively therewith. Troughs l9 and 20 preferably have inclined sides or faces as at [8a, [9a and I 8b, 20a. which converge inwardly and downwardly.

The aerating medium is directed into the container through orifices preferably in the faces I2a, I611, We and 12b, 16b, 20a. A plurality of nozzles M of the so-called sweep variety in faces I2a, l2b are adapted for directing air in a sweeping action over the entire areas of treads I20, I 2d respectively. Nozzles l! are similarly situated relative to treads 16d, Se, and nozzles 2| and 22 direct air into the bottoms of troughs l9 and 20 respectively through orifices in sides l9a, 20a.

A somewhat different conception of the invention is found by considering the above described steps as forming a plurality of superposed troughs. For example, as shown in Fig. 2 a plurality of superposed troughs are provided having inclined sides and having mouths or horizontal openings which are in communication with the trough next above it. The troughs, in the form shown, are co-extensive with the bottom area of the tank. To illustrate this concept reference is made to the trough formed by faces lEa, I 62) and treads l6d, I6e (including surface l8). Such trough has a mouth formed between the upper edges of the faces Ilia, l6b. It is clear that such mouth is in communication with the bottom of the trough next above, the latter being formed by the sides I2a, I21) and the tread surfaces I20, 12d.

Intense aeration of the calcium chloride liquor may be attained by directing air into the troughs by means of nozzles situated preferably adjacent the bottoms thereof. It is desirable, in the form shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 to employ opposed air streams which are directed toward one another from opposite sides of the troughs and which are adapted for sweeping the lower surfaces or bottoms thereof.

As shown in Fig. 2, a primary trough I2 is constituted by a pair of inclined side portions 12a, l2b which are angularly disposed relative to the vertical axis of the tank and converge downwardly, that is, the mouth of the trough flares upwardly and outwardly, thereby causing any solid matter in the tank which strikes said sides to slide downwardly toward the center of the reaction vessel.

The above mentioned side portions l2a, 12b are fitted to the cylindrical inner surface of the tank as shown in Fig. 1. The bottom of the primary trough I2 is indicated at 12c, l2d and pref erably constitutes fiat horizontal surfaces.

The aeration medium such as air is conducted into the primary trough [2 by suitable conduits as at 13 which pass down the inner vertical sides of the vessel and are, as here shown, in communication with a manifold Ma situated preferably above the reaction vessel. The manifold 14a may be connected by means of a master conduit 15 to a suitable source of compressed air which may be controlled by suitabl pumping means.

It is desirable in order to accomplish a complete and effective distribution of air over the fioor or bottom of the primary trough to employ suitable nozzles which will increase the discharge velocity of the air and in effect squirt same over said trough floor. Such nozzles preferably are disposed as at [4 (Fig. 3) on opposite sides of the trough along the bottom thereof within orifices I2e. In the form shown, a dovetailed nozzle, preferably of lead, be employed, for example, having about six inch sides. They may be secured to the conduits I3 in any suitable manner. The conduits I3, for example, may have an inner diameter of /2". The nozzles I4 preferably have discharge orifices which, for example, are about 6 in length and about it" in width. 7

The nozzles I4, I! and 22 are preferably closely spaced whereby about 90% of the length of each side of the trough along the bottom thereof is directly supplied with air. Those nozzles, for example, adjacent side I2a are adapted for sweeping air over the bottom portion I20 and the opposite group of nozzles adjacent side I2b are adapted for sweeping air over the bottom portion I2d. V

In the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3 it will be observed that the aggregate horizontal internal dimension of the nozzles I4 is about 50% of the length of the step face 12a; the analogous dimension of the nozzles I'I comprises about 57% of the length of the step face Hill; and the analogous dimension of the nozzles 22 aggregate about 63% of the length of the step face 29s.

A secondary trough is provided at It having sides Ifia and fill). The mouth of the secondary trough I6 is formed in the bottom of the primary trough I2. The sides l6a and I617 are preferably inclined substantially parallel and in spaced relation to the sides In and I2b of trough I2 and have formed therein a plurality of orifices its through which air is directed into the trough I6. A plurality of nozzles II are provided on opposite sides of the trough Io" along the bottom thereof which are adapted for directing air across the portions ltd and I58 comprising respectively the left and right hand bottom areas (Fig. 2) of trough I6. The opposed air streams from the nozzles Il may meet and jointly aerate the central portion of the bottom of trough is indicated at i8. Thus th entire floor of the trough It may be fully aerated by the action of the air issuing from the nozzles II.

In order further to promote proper aeration, additional troughs may be formed with the mouths thereof in the bottom of the trough It as at is and 26. These two troughs I 9, 20, in the form shown, are considerably smaller than the troughs thereabove at I2 and I6. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the troughs I9, 28 preferably are of triangular cross-section, that is, of V-s'haped cross-section With the open end of the V comprising the mouth of the trough.

Air preferably is directed into the trough IQ and 20 through nozzles 2I and 22 respectively (Fig. 3). The nozzles 2| and 22 are analogous to the nozzles i4 and II. Suitable orifices for the nozzles 2I and 22 may be formed within the inclined sides of the troughs I9 and 20 as shown in Fig. 2.

As is well illustrated in Fig. 2, streams of aerating gas such as air are directed into the vessel II laterally thereof by means of horizontal nozzles, thereby minimizing the possibility of cl in or closing th air nozz es with metallic copper or slurry The nozzles II, 2I and 22 are respectively connected to conduits Ila, 2Ia and 22a which are in communication with manifold Ma in a manner analogous to conduit I3.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, nearly the entire bottom region of the reaction vessel I is employed for a reaction chamber, 1. e., about 90% thereof is so employed. A small compartment 6 within the tank is formed at 23 for other than reaction purposes by means of a partition 24 which preferably is of perforated wood. The partition 24 is designed to protect tankoutlet 25 from being clogged bymetallic copperwhich is placed within the reaction portion ofthe vessel.

A second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 2a comprising a plurality of parallel troughs each having preferably a V-shaped cross-sectional area. Such parallel troughs may be formed, for example, by suitable wooden meme bers or timbers of triangular cross-sectional shape. Fig. 2a illustrates sixsuch troughs as at Eli-3| inclusive. These troughs may be formed by, for example, five parallel wooden members 32-36 inclusive which preferably are of equilateral triangular cross-sectional shape each having an edge of about 8". Members 31, 38 may be provided which complete the troughs acting in cooperation respectively with the triangular members 32 and 36.-

If desired, the bases of all of the above mentioned wooden members 32-36 and 31. 38-may be placed fiush upon the bottom II of the tank I0. However, it is preferable for said members to be stepped in the manner shown in Fig. 2a, for ex ample, wherein the central member 36 only is upon said bottom I I and successive'pairs' of such members are placed upon successively higher levels. For example, th pair 33.35 may be secured at a first level. The pair 32,. 36 maybe secured at a second level and; the outer members- 31, 38 may be secured ata third and higher level.

By means of the stepped arrangement of the above described members: 32-36 and 37', 38, it is possible to eliminate the exposure of and increase the number of air conduits which pass parallel to the bottom I I and beneath all of said members except 34. For example, as shown in Fig. 2; the horizontal portions of the air conduits at the various levels are in stepped relationship whereby exposure of the horizontal portions thereof are eliminated.

Conduits having nozzles may be directed into the troughs ofthe embodiment of Fig. 2a in a manner analogous to that shown in Fig. 2.-

One advantage of the embodiment of Fig-. 2 over that of Fig. 2a has been found to be in the ease of cleaning same.

In the operation of the reaction vessel described above, it periodically becomes necessary to clean the residue therefrom. This is constituted by undissolved copper and by waste material. It has been found much more convenient to clean the bottom of the tank illustrated in Fig. 2 than the bottom illustrated in Fig. 2a, largely because of the horizontal flat bottoms of the troughs shown in the former figure. Moreover, better access is attained to the horizontal sections of the air conduits and the nozzles therefor.

In the form of the invention shown, for example, in Figs. 1 and 3, the steps and troughs are generally of oblong shape and are parallel. However, of course, it is possible to have troughs or basins of circular conformation rather than. oblong. Moreover, instead of employing the trough arrangement of Fig. 2 wherein the bottom is stepped upwardly from the center thereof on each side of said center, it is possible to commence said step at one side of the reaction vessel, for example, the left side as viewed in Fig. 2, and the steps may progressively rise therefrom to the right side of the container as viewed in said Fig. 2.

The operation of the reaction vessel in general in accordance with my invention may be as follows: Copper scrap, for example, as blocks of compressed copper wire, are placed in the troughs. A reaction liquor of the same concentration and volume as above described is added and subjected to aeration preferably at a rate of 350 cubic feet per minute or about 12 /2 cubic feet for each square foot of bottom area.

Employing a semi-continuous method of operation wherein a predetermined part of the liquor and product, such as 20% to 40%, is periodically withdrawn and additions of liquor and copper are periodically made, a high average output capacity for a single tank is secured.

The operation of the embodiment of Fig. 2 is analogous to that of Fig. 2a in that any settling of the product or precipitate (copper oxychloride) is directed to the bottom of a trough. For example, to the flat surface I2c which constitutes a portion of the bottom of trough I2. The air stream issuing from the nozzle M will immediately agitate and recirculate the precipitate. Also, any metallic copper upon said surface [20 will be subjected to the air stream which sweeps thereacross and thereby is in direct contact with the metal, thus aiding in the chemical reaction with the liquor and preventing a coating of said metallic copper by the slurry or precipitate.

While the invention has been described with respect to certain preferred examples which have given satisfatcory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a reaction tank for containing a liquor, a bottom comprising two sets of steps, each step having a face and a substantially horizontal tread, said sets of steps being disposed to face one another and extending to the tank perimeter, a plurality of substantially horizontal nozzles associated with the fac of each step and constructed and arranged for directing a gaseous substance in a sweeping action across substantially the entire area of the tread of such step and toward the opposite set of steps, said nozzles being substantially uniformly positioned along the length of such face, means for supplying such gaseous substance under pressure to such nozzles, th latter being directly connected to such supply means, the regions surrounding said nozzles within said tank being free of partitions and obstructions thereby to permit solids to fall free of interruption onto such steps, the aggreate of the horizontal internal dimensions of the orifices of said nozzles positioned in ach tread being not less than about 50% of the total length of the step face.

2. In a container for holding a liquor and solid matter, the latter going into solution in response to chemical action of the liquor under the influence of forceful impact upon such solid matter of a gaseous medium in the form of a substantially horizontal high pressur jet, a bottom for said container including a plurality of step faces and substantially horizontal treads forming a plurality of steps, and a plurality of substantially horizontally disposed nozzles positioned in said faces for directing jets of such gaseous medium through such step-faces across and in contact with said treads in a sweeping action, said nozzles being substantially uniformly distributed along the length of a step-face, said tank being free of partitions and obstructions therein in the region above said nozzles exclusive of said treads and step-faces; the aggregate horizontal inner dimension of the discharge orifices of the nozzles associated with a given step-face being not less than about 50% of the horizontal length of such step-face.

3. In a container for holding a liquor and solid matter, a bottom for said container including a plurality of step faces and substantially horizontal treads forming a plurality of steps, and a plurality of substantially horizontally disposed nozzles positioned for directing jets of a gaseous medium through such step faces across and in contact with such treads in a sweeping action, the aggregate horizontal inner dimension of the discharge orifices of the nozzles of a given step face being not less than about 50% of the horizontal length of such step-face.

PHILIP KENNETH ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 894,254 Browne July 28, 1908 1,026,704 Sargeant May 21, 1912 1,223,033 Cole Apr. 17, 1917 1,598,358 Greenawalt Sept. 7, 1926 2,074,597 Starke Mar. 23, 1937 2,358,706 I-Iaag Sept. 19, 1944 

1. IN A REACTION TANK FOR CONTAINING A LIQUOR, A BOTTOM COMPRISING TWO SETS OF STEPS, EACH STEP HAVING A FACE AND A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL TREAD, SAID SETS OF STEPS BEING DISPOSED TO FACE ONE ANOTHER AND EXTENDING TO THE TANK PERIMETER, A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL NOZZLES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FACE OF EACH STEP AND CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED FOR DIRECTING A GASEOUS SUBSTANCE IN A SWEEPING ACTION ACROSS SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE AREA OF THE TREAD OF SUCH STEP AND TOWARD THE OPPOSITE SET OF STEPS, SAID NOZZLES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY POSITIONED ALONG THE LENGTH OF SUCH FACE, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING SUCH GASEOUS SUBSTANCE UNDER PRESSURE TO SUCH NOZZLES, THE LATTER BEING DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO SUCH SUPPLY MEANS, THE REGIONS SURROUNDING SAID NOZZLES WITHIN SAID TANK BEING FREE OF PARTITIONS AND OBSTRUCTIONS THEREBY TO PERMIT SOLIDS TO FALL FREE OF INTERRUPTION ONTO SUCH STEPS, THE AGGREGATE OF THE HORIZONTAL INTERNAL DIMENSIONS OF THE ORIFICES OF SAID NOZZLES POSITIONED IN EACH TREAD BEING NOT LESS THAN ABOUT 50% OF THE TOTAL LENGTH OF THE STEP FACE. 